Guacamole Is Your Perfect After Workout Spread
Guacamole doesn't just go with chips, it's a great snack if you want something filling and nutritious after a workout.
Your body needs certain nutrients and fuel to restore your body to help after an intense exercise session. If you're a bit snackish, we recommend choosing guacamole and a couple of the dippers we have listed below.
What Your Body Needs Post Workout
After a workout, your body is still burning a lot of fuel for several hours afterward. You'll have burned up most of the glycogen in your muscles, and your body's now racing to restore that. That's how you lose weight.
If you have sugar, you're defeating the whole purpose of going for a workout. But, if you give yourself proteins and fats, you're giving it building blocks to build stronger tissues.
You really shouldn't eat anything directly after a workout, only reply your fluids. Your digestive system goes into a hibernation mode and doesn't really digest well during your exercise and shortly after. Food in your stomach as you exercise is a leading cause of cramps during exercise.
But, once you hit about the 2-hour mark, your digestive system kicks back into gear, and if you're hungry, choosing a healthy snack is your best bet.
This is where guacamole steps in. Entirely vegetable-based, it contains healthy fats and a decent amount of protein to give your body what it needs to build strong, healthy tissues. The healthy fats are the key feature of guacamole, particularly coming from the omega-3 rich avocados. Regardless of whether you're working out or not, these can help your brain and your heart remain healthy.
Guacamole Recipe For Workouts
We've got a really simple recipe here and guacamole is not hard to make. Once you try it the first time, adjust things to your taste. If it's a little bit too spicy, tone down the jalapeno pepper and garlic. If you want a little bit more pucker and astringency, add a little bit more lime juice. There's a lot of ways you can change up your guacamole.
Basic Guacamole Recipe
- 3 Avocados, Chopped
- 1/2 Small Onion, Finely Diced
- 2 Tomatoes, Diced
- 1 Jalapeno Pepper, Finely Diced – no seeds
- 2 Garlic Cloves, Finely Minced
- 1 Lime, Juiced
- 3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Cilantro
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
To Make - Basically, smash it all together and serve fresh.
What's Healthy To Dip In?
Of course, what you dip into guacamole is just as important. Try these couple of ideas and see what you think.
Veggie Chips and Fries
Whether you make your own chips and fries or buy them, veggie chips are absolutely delicious. We prefer sweet potato chips, but plantain and jicama are also traditionally used to dip into guacamole. You want something that's going to have its own flavor and enhance the richness. And having a little bit of sweetness from the chips can help offset the spiciness.
Apples
Apples are great to dip into anything and help your digestive system at the same time. Convenient and healthy, apples are great addition to guacamole because of their subtle flavor and light sweetness.
Raw Veggies
Raw vegetables to dip in guacamole is the ultimate in healthy. Everything about the snack is flavorful and healthy. Plus, the flavor changes with different veggies, so mix it up to try something new.
Bacon
Okay, we have to say this is not one we've tried before. But, lots of people on the internet have said dipping bacon into guacamole is delicious. If you're doing low-carb and want something a little bit more protein-rich, we could see this one working for you.
Eggs
Imagine a deviled egg with a green filling rather than yellow. If you mix your egg yolk into the guacamole and then put it into half a hard-boiled egg, you got yourself a healthy snack. It might look a little odd at parties, but it's a lot healthier.